Conventionally, halogenated resins and a poly(vinyl chloride) resin were generally used as materials of insulated electric wires and wires for light conductors. A poly(vinyl chloride) resin has advantages such as relatively low cost, broad application range and intrinsic flame retardancy, and disadvantages such as generation of dioxin and large amounts of toxic gas upon fire. Accordingly, a variety of materials to replace poly(vinyl chloride) resin are being tried in fields related with electrical wires including cables, but flame retardancy, processability and productivity thereof have failed to meet expectations.
Since a modified poly(arylene ether) resin that is recently attracting attention has superior flame retardancy and insulation, the modified poly(arylene ether) resin is often applied as a substitute for wires in various fields. However, since styrene-based block copolymers that are added to address low flexibility of a poly(arylene ether) resin in a modified poly(arylene ether) resin are relatively expensive, there is burden due to cost increase of raw materials when flexibility of a poly(arylene ether) resin is controlled only using the styrene-based block copolymers.
In addition, while an extrusion flux of a wire manufactured using equipment for mass production of a conventional poly(vinyl chloride) resin is 900 to 1,200 m per minute, the extrusion flux is only approximately 300 m per minute in the case of a conventional modified poly(arylene ether) resin, whereby productivity is dramatically decreased, compared to a poly(vinyl chloride) resin.
As an embodiment regarding conventional modified poly(arylene ether) resin compositions, there is Korean Patent Application Pub. No. 10-2013-0077468. The application relates to a thermoplastic resin composition including a base resin, which includes a poly(arylene ether) resin and a polyolefin resin, and a phosphorus-based flame retardant. The thermoplastic resin composition includes a phosphorus-based flame retardant having a thermal decomposition temperature of 230° C. or more, a poly(arylene ether) resin and a polyolefin resin in a specific content ratio, in order to enhance melt viscosity, processability, flexibility and chemical resistance of a poly(arylene ether) resin and in order to enhance flame retardancy, wear resistance, mechanical strength and thermal resistance of a polyolefin resin. However, in the thermoplastic resin composition, processability of a base resin including a poly(arylene ether) resin and a polyolefin resin is controlled using a styrene-based resin as a compatibilizer.
Therefore, there is a need for development of a modified poly(arylene ether) resin composition that may control extrudability and properties of a wire at low coat without negative influence on appearance or properties upon manufacturing a wire, other than a conventional method in which extrudability and properties of a wire are controlled by controlling the content of expensive styrene-based block copolymer in a modified poly(arylene ether) resin composition.